Philemon Dickerson

American judge (1788–1862)

Not to be confused with Philemon Dickinson.

Philemon Dickerson

Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
In office
March 2, 1841 – December 10, 1862
Appointed by| Martin Van Buren
Preceded by| Mahlon Dickerson
Succeeded by| Richard Stockton Field
12th Governor of New Jersey
In office
November 3, 1836 – October 27, 1837
Preceded by| Peter Dumont Vroom
Succeeded by| William Pennington
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's at-large district
In office
March 4, 1833 – November 3, 1836
Preceded by| Silas Condit
Succeeded by| William Chetwood
In office
March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841
Preceded by| John Bancker Aycrigg
Succeeded by| John Bancker Aycrigg
Personal details
Born|

Philemon Dickerson

(1788-01-11)January 11, 1788
Succasunna, New Jersey, U.S.
Died| December 10, 1862(1862-12-10) (aged 74)
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Resting place| Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Paterson
Political party| Democratic
Relatives| Mahlon Dickerson (brother)
Education| University of Pennsylvania (A.B.)
Profession| Attorney

Philemon Dickerson (January 11, 1788 – December 10, 1862) was a United States representative from New Jersey, the 12th governor of New Jersey and judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

## Education and career

[edit]

Born on January 11, 1788,[Note 1] in Succasunna, New Jersey,[1] Dickerson pursued classical studies, received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1808 from the University of Pennsylvania and read law in 1813.[1] He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1813 to 1816.[1] He continued private practice in Paterson, New Jersey from 1816 to 1821, and from 1822 to 1833,[1] having been admitted as a counselor in 1817.[2] He was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from Essex County, from 1821 to 1822.[1]

## Congressional and gubernatorial service

[edit]

Dickerson was elected as a Jacksonian Democrat from New Jersey's at-large congressional district to the United States House of Representatives of the 23rd and 24th United States Congresses and served from March 4, 1833, until November 3, 1836, when he resigned, having been chosen as the 12th Governor of New Jersey by the New Jersey Legislature.[2] He served as Governor and ex officio Chancellor from November 3, 1836, to October 27, 1837.[2] He was appointed sergeant at law in 1834, being the last person in New Jersey to hold that title.[2] He resumed private practice in Paterson from 1837 to 1839.[1] He was elected as a Democrat to the 26th United States Congress, serving from March 4, 1839, to March 3, 1841.[2] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the 27th United States Congress.[2]

## Federal judicial service

[edit]

Dickerson was nominated by President Martin Van Buren on February 22, 1841, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey vacated by Judge Mahlon Dickerson.[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 1841, and received his commission on March 2, 1841.[1] His service terminated on December 10, 1862, due to his death in Paterson.[1] He was interred in Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson.[2]

### Other service

[edit]

Concurrent with his federal judicial service, Dickerson was President of the city council of Paterson in 1851.[2]

## Family

[edit]

Dickerson was the brother of Mahlon Dickerson, a United States senator from New Jersey and Dickerson's predecessor on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.[2]

## Note

[edit]

1. ^ Dickerson's gravestone and some other sources give his birth June 26, 1788. However, both FJC Bio and CongBio, as well as other sources give his date as January 11, 1788, which date will be used in this article.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Philemon Dickerson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i United States Congress. "Philemon Dickerson (id: D000309)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

## Sources

[edit]

* United States Congress. "Philemon Dickerson (id: D000309)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
* Philemon Dickerson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
* New Jersey Governor Philemon Dickerson, National Governors Association
* Biography of Philemon Dickerson from The Political Graveyard

U.S. House of Representatives

Preceded by

Silas Condit

|  United States Representative from New Jersey's at-large congressional district
1833–1836  | Succeeded by

William Chetwood

Preceded by

John Bancker Aycrigg

|  United States Representative from New Jersey's at-large congressional district
1839–1841  | Succeeded by

John Bancker Aycrigg

Political offices
Preceded by

Peter Dumont Vroom

|  Governor of New Jersey
1836–1837  | Succeeded by

William Pennington

Legal offices
Preceded by

Mahlon Dickerson

|  Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
1841–1862  | Succeeded by

Richard Stockton Field

* v
* t
* e

Governors of New Jersey

Proprietary Province|

* Carteret

East New Jersey|

* Carteret
* Barclay
* Hamilton
* Basse
* Hamilton

West New Jersey|

* Byllynge
* Coxe
* Hamilton
* Basse
* Hamilton

Dominion of New England
(1688–89)|

* Andros

Royal governors|

* Viscount Cornbury
* Baron Lovelace
* Ingoldesby (Lt. Gov.)
* Hunter
* Burnet
* Montgomerie
* Morris (acting)
* Cosby
* Anderson (acting)
* Hamilton (acting)
* Lord De La Warr
* Morris
* Hamilton (acting)
* Reading (acting)
* Belcher
* Reading (acting)
* Pownall (Lt. Gov.)
* Reading (acting)
* Bernard
* Boone
* Hardy
* Franklin

State
(since 1776)|

* Livingston
* Paterson
* Howell
* Bloomfield
* Ogden
* W. S. Pennington
* M. Dickerson
* Williamson
* Vroom
* Southard
* Seeley
* Vroom
* P. Dickerson
* W. Pennington
* Haines
* Stratton
* Haines
* G. F. Fort
* Price
* Newell
* Olden
* Parker
* Ward
* Randolph
* Parker
* Bedle
* McClellan
* Ludlow
* Abbett
* Green
* Abbett
* Werts
* Griggs
* Voorhees
* F. Murphy
* Stokes
* J. F. Fort
* Wilson
* Fielder
* Edge
* Runyon*
* Edwards
* Silzer
* Moore
* Larson
* Moore
* Hoffman
* Moore
* Edison
* Edge
* Driscoll
* Meyner
* Hughes
* Cahill
* Byrne
* Kean
* Florio
* Whitman
* DiFrancesco*
* McGreevey
* Codey*
* Corzine
* Christie
* P. Murphy

* Under N.J.S.A. 52:15-5 (as amended in 2005), an acting governor serving for 180 continuous days or more is conferred the title of Governor.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

People|

* US Congress

Other|

* SNAC

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template